You are Christopher Phillips, previously just another teenage nerd living in a small English town, and a lot of things have changed in your life since you died.

The biggest change – apart from your death itself, and your subsequent failure to stop walking and talking and doing all the things dead people typically don’t do – is the hunger. Normal food and drink fill your stomach, but they do nothing to suppress your more unnatural appetites.

Not that you eat flesh, or brains, or anything so gory. Mostly it’s a matter of taking control. Before all this, you were an outsider, picked on, looked down on, ignored. Not any more. And it feels so, so good.

Of course, sometimes it can be distracting. Thick, black tendrils of hunger wrap around your mind, making it hard to concentrate, to think about anything but feeding. Images flash through your mind, past conquests. Bare skin, warm flesh pressed against you. Each one seemed to add a new hunger, and when they all flare up together, the overall effect is difficult to fight.

You can manage it, though. You are in control, and that includes control over yourself. You just have to keep reminding yourself that you’re in control.

“Are you sure about that?” whispers a thought in the back of your head.

>>27282268Oh, shut up. You take a look around – you’ve only zoned out for a few seconds. You’re sitting in the boys’ changing rooms at school, during your free study period. The room is mostly empty, apart from yourself, Louie, and Masami. The pale, red-headed boy is starting to shiver a little; he’s only wearing a towel, and you did interrupt his shower. Masami really shouldn’t be in here, she just wandered in following her nose and declared that Louie ‘smelled like home’. Considering what you know of the normally shy Asian girl’s home, that’s not very reassuring, but it seems to have given her much more confidence, and you haven’t really had a good reason to kick her out yet. She’s even suggested that she could go take a shower so you have some privacy while you pump Louie for information – uh, while you talk to Louie – or that the two of you could go take a shower while she sits and guards your clothes.

This could be a prime chance to get reams of information from these two – quiet people have a tendency to overhear quite a lot. On the other hand, you’re getting a little worried by Masami’s smile.

[]You’ve got some things you want to ask Louie about, privately. Send Masami off to have a shower while you quiz him.[]You’ve got more questions for Masami. Let Louie resume his shower while you talk to her.[]Masami’s not the only one who could overhear things. Go talk to Louie under the showers – you guess you could do with one anyway.[]You don’t have anything you really want to keep secret from Louie or Masami, do you? Talk to them both together.

((Archives are located at http://archive.foolz.us/tg/search/subject/monsterhearts%20quest/type/op/order/asc/and also athttp://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Monsterhearts%20Quest ))

>>27282273>[x]Masami’s not the only one who could overhear things. Go talk to Louie under the showers – you guess you could do with one anyway.Honestly, this is a very bad development. We've been trying to get Masami away from her roots, and this is a major setback.

Not to mention, we need to know how Esther is going to take this; she seems to be a broker or agent of favors, and appears to be protective of Louie. Letting Masami take Louie to the Dance could put us on Esther's shitlist, and that would make our unlife very difficult.

>>27282321>>27282273We need to talk to Louie about:1. what's his relationship with Esther?2. Is Esther going to be upset that Louie isn't going with her to the Dance?3. Is there something he should tell us about his...extended family? Masami's background may have unforeseen consequences if they interact with Louie's.

>>27282715"Alright, Masami. I guess you're right, I could do with a shower too. Come on, Louie."

You stand, quickly taking your clothes off and folding them into a neat pile next to Louie's. The smaller boy stares for a while, but you try not to act too embarrassed as you pile things up and put your shoes on the small rack set aside for them beneath the benches.

Masami sits quietly next to your clothes, hands folded in her lap, as you step into the showers. Louie gets up, takes a look back over his shoulder at Masami (who's still sitting quietly, with a small smile on her face), and blushes as he lets the towel drop and follows you into the shower.

Once under the warm water, Louie seems to relax a little bit. He drops his hands from trying to cover his body and just luxuriates in the shower. You're having a little trouble concentrating - his soft, pale skin almost reminds you of Avril, or maybe it's just your hungers talking. The warm water doesn't seem to be making your erection go down at all, either.

"S-s-so, Chris, you wanted to talk to me?" Louie is very carefully avoiding looking at you, but that just means you get a good view of his smooth back and legs - he doesn't have a lot of muscle, but he's in good shape, and the word 'lithe' springs unbidden to mind. You try not to let your gaze linger on his arse for too long.

"I wanted to ask you about Esther, actually. She's not going to have a problem with you going to the dance with Masami, is she? Was she expecting you to go with her?"

Louie shakes his head quickly. "Oh, no, no, we don't have that kind of, um, relationship. Esther's like a big sister to me. She looks after me, but we're not going out or anything."

"Okay, that's good. One other thing... Is there anything you want to tell me about your home, or your family?"

Louie tenses for a second, and although you can't see his face, you're pretty sure he's lying when he says "There's nothing unusual about my family. Why do you ask?"

>>27283293"I am good at catching details Louie, thats why i am asking. Want to tell me about your connection to sea and/or water? Know that i am just asking this because i want to be sure of Masami's safety, and yours too."

>>27283658"I'm just good at noticing things, Louie. And there have been all sorts of special things coming out of the woodwork lately, more than just what you've seen with Ajani and Zack. Why don't you tell me why you love the water so much? Or how about the works of HP Lovecraft, does that ring any bells?"

Louie turns his head, looking over his shoulder in confusion. "Lovecraft? N-no, that doesn't mean anything to me. And water is just nice. Soothing. Everyone likes the water."

"You like it more than most, Louie. That's pretty obvious. I'm only asking because I want to be sure about Masami's safety, and yours. And maybe also because you have an extremely nice butt, and I've had to deal with supernatural glamours before."

Louie blushes, his cheeks flushing with freckles again. "There's nothing supernatural about my butt. I think. And the other thing... well, I guess it can't get much worse than it already is. And you seem a lot more trustworthy than James. He, uh... he took my pelt. It's kind of complicated, but if I get it back, I can really swim." He smiles shyly, gazing off into the distance, then blinks and looks back at you. "It's just not the same like this. Arms and legs, they're useful, but they're kind of awkward sometimes. I really need my pelt back, but I don't know where James put it..."

This rings a bell somewhere. You dredge up half-forgotten details of supernatural beings. "Won't that mean you stop being human forever?"

Louie shakes his head. "It's only like that if you want to escape. I like it here, mostly. There's so many new people, new sights and sounds and tastes, new... experiences." Louie blushes and raises his eyes to your face again.

"That's good. What about Masami, then?"

Louie turns away from you, looking out at Masami. You look over his shoulder. She's definitely got one hand under her skirt now.

"Masami is kinda odd, but she seems a lot nicer than James. There's something strange about her, though. What do you think of her?"

>>27284125"Oh she's nice, a good friend. But truth be told, I am a little worried for her. She's...like you, in some ways. The difference is, she won't have a way of coming back, if she leaves. So I'm trying my best to make sure that she doesn't have any temptation to. Do you understand?"

Masami's enjoying this, isn't she. Maybe let her enjoy it more, by moving closer to Louie. Maybe put a hand on his shoulder?

>>27284125"You are right to think that she is somewhat strange, but she means well. James just does whatever is in his best interest, he wont care if its in your interest too. I see that you are interested in Masami. Go for it" slap his ass get out of shower.

>>27284285>I see that you are interested in Masami. Go for itActually, I'm against this. Selkie and Deep One, together? Way too many things that could go wrong. I'm okay with them being friends, but getting romantic could be very problematic, especially because Louie reminds Masami of her home and the sea, and by extension Dagon and Deep One homes.

Or are you trying to get rid of Masami and this is your way of doing it without the other players catching on?

>>27284347>Or are you trying to get rid of Masami and this is your way of doing it without the other players catching on?Why would that be in anyone's interest? I think consensus was to not do anything with her anyways.

>>27284347>Or are you trying to get rid of Masami and this is your way of doing it without the other players catching on?i actually didnt care much for masami since from the beginning. not that i want to get rid of her but i just want to let it go and see what happens.

>>27284488>Besides, if she has fun here she's less likely to go full FATHER WELCOME ME INTO YOUR KINGDOMYes, but did you not notice how she's been acting around Louie when his Selkie heritage is closer to the surface? How he triggers memories of the sea and her home beneath the waves with Father Dagon, Mother Hydra, and the other Deep Ones?

Keeping her happy and having fun is one thing, but you're intentionally triggering memories of Dagon for her with this.

>>27284583"Yeah, Masami's a nice girl. Some interesting tastes, as you can see." Louie blushes again, still staring at Masami, and you gently put one hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should go over there. Or I could invite her to join us in here, what do you think?"

You can feel Louie's shoulder tense under your hand. "Y-you mean actually..." He trails off, then finds his voice again. "Actually have sex? I've never, I mean, I'm not sure if, I mean, I want to, but I don't know how, really."

You smile, moving closer to Louie and matching his gaze as he looks out of the shower at Masami. "Masami means well, but I do worry about her sometimes. She's like you in some ways, but if she does leave, she won't have a way of coming back. So I'm trying my best to make sure she has good reasons to stay. Do you understand me?"

Louie nods quietly, shifting a little so that his body is pressed closely against yours. His smooth, slightly damp back presses into your chest, and you can feel his cheeks against your crotch.

"Masami's such a nice girl," Louie says, his voice barely above a whisper. "She makes me feel wanted. I've only ever felt like that about guys before..." He turns his head, so that his face is right next to yours. "That's not strange, is it? To like guys and girls at the same time?"

"Of course not," you reply. "You like whoever you like, that's just the way things are. It'd be nice for you to go to the ball with Masami, although I admit I'm growing a little jealous of letting you go with someone else." You smile, and Louie smiles back, his face lighting up.

"Chris, do you want... I mean, do you want to, uh..." Louie trails off again, blinking water out of his eyes, then just presses himself against you again, with a pleading look in his eyes.

>>27285228(( 'I will speed things up a bit!' Instantly discover twenty more things that need sorting out... Yeah, sorry, guys. This may be a somewhat slow thread. I'll try to keep it running as long as possible to make up for it. ))

>>27285228We should lay down some ground rules first before we do anything so Louie doesn't have misunderstandings.

"Before we go further, Louie, I need you to understand a few things. I'm in a serious, romantic relationship already. Not that we can't have fun, but that's all it is, alright? I don't want to mislead you, or get your hopes up for nothing."

Especially if Esther protects Louie like a little brother; she may not appreciate the Fae values we're teaching him.

>>27285634>why notThere is the fact that the more people we bone, the more frequent and stronger our Hungers seem to get, which could be problematic and lead to us losing more control over our actions.

>>27285743It's best to be explicit and straightforward about things such as this to prevent misunderstandings. I mean, Louie seems the romantic type; he needs to be sure that he wants to give up his virginity now, or he wants to keep it at no penetrations.

>>27285783Yeah, we're already getting seriously distracted in class a day after having Jill and Avril at the same time, which ought to be a big meal. This isn't a good idea right at this moment. Maybe later.

>>27286270>I'm surprised that Masami isn't recording this so that she can show it to Avril and Jill later. She seems to enjoy yaoi very much, after all....does she even have a smartphone? She's a country bumpkin. Or sea bumpin if you will.

>>27286270I just realized how silly the proposition that we screw Misami's dance date, whom she just asked out mind you, in front of her while she schlicks. Still think we should involve her somehow if we go that route, reguardless if she's within Louie's projectile range we should probably warn her off or have her lose the cloths before we get them dirty.

>>27286378>I just realized how silly the proposition that we screw Misami's dance date, whom she just asked out mind you, in front of her while she schlicksWell, this is her fetish, at least two of them. This is what she wanted to see.

>>27285996"Louie, before we go any further, I need you to understand a few things. We can have some fun, but I'm in a serious relationship already. I don't want to mislead you, and maybe you wanted things to be a bit more romantic for your first time."

Louie looks down at his hands, running them under the water and watching the streams flowing from each outstretched finger. "I guess you're right. I think it's what Masami wants, but there should probably be some limits to how far I go just to please people... Still." He turns right around, his face inches from yours, a smile playing across his lips. "I want to do something nice for you. For both of you. And have some fun for myself, right?"

Louie slowly sinks to his knees, licking his lips. You look across the room to Masami. Her back is starting to arch as her hand moves faster and faster, but she smiles and nods to you as Louie starts to go down on you. It's an interesting sensation - you don't feel the head-rush of magical connection that you've come to associate with sex, but Louie's lips are soft and warm, and you run one hand through his short, soft hair. You could definitely get used to this.

You eventually help Louie to his feet, and the two of you head out of the showers, picking up fresh towels to dry off with. Masami is still sitting by your clothes, flushed and panting.

"You'd better get dressed fairly quickly," she comments, adjusting her own clothes so that they're slightly less obviously mussed. "It'll be lunch time soon, and there might be some other guys wanting an early shower."

You raise an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be more worried about that than we are? We're supposed to be in here."

Masami blinks, and takes a look around her. "Uh, wait... oh, no!" She blushes red, gets up, and dashes out, barely stopping to wave at Louie and remind him, "Dance, right?" He nods, giving her a wave in return as she hurries out the door.

>>27287471You dress quickly, grab a snack from the lunch hall, and then head down to the bike sheds. Zack is leaning against the side of the shed, smoking. He's alone this time, and when he spots you he grins and beckons you over, finishing off his cigarette.

"Chris, dude! How're you doing? I gotta thank you for getting me to talk to that guy."

"I take it everything went well, then? No freak-outs, no fights?"

Zack shakes his head. "No way. It was pretty good, really. He told me about this place in town, does martial arts training and stuff. They can teach me about meditation and shit to keep my emotions under control, and they can teach me to be even more kick-ass too. Plus, his dad runs it, so I don't even have to pay for lessons. Awesome, huh?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a pretty good deal. We're still working on a cure, but that sounds like it'll help you out a lot."

Zack nods, grinning. "That's the way things ought to be sorted out more often. Two guys sit down at a table and work out how to make everyone involved more awesome. You still helped out, though, I remembered to tell him you and those chicks were awesome. He said he might need to borrow those silver chains some time if the meditation's not working out, but he wants to try that first."

"Yeah, uh... thanks for that." You try not to visibly wince, but Zack doesn't seem to notice.

"No problem, dude! Happy to help out. You're not bad, for a nerd and all. And that girl you hang out with, she's nice. Really nice." Zack smiles again, but it's not the cocky, very deliberate smile he normally uses. This one seems much more genuine. "Anyway. You've got books to read, I've got awesome to be. This thing isn't going to cure itself, right?"

You sigh and nod, and head off, leaving Zack to his cigarettes. Avril waves at you from one of the picnic tables.

"Hi Chris!" she grins. "Had a good day? Hey, have you seen Jill around yet? She normally eats lunch out here these days."

>>27288263Yeah, all signs point to today being are damn good day. Masami and Louie look cute together and are looking forward to the dance so that's nice. Did you know Louie was somehow how related to the water?

Also Zack is doing well, he and Ajani are going to train together to help control himself. Ajani wants to know if he can borrow the silver chains by the way.

And I seem to like guys just as I like girls or at least I wouldn't mind trying, might be something to bare in mind for later.

>>27288263((Okay, it appears that the gaps between posts are just getting worse and worse and I'm very much dead on my feet, so we'll break here for the night. Next thread will be Thursday the 19th, hopefully with substantially less real-life trouble and substantially more action.))

>>27288263"Huh, no, I haven't. She's probably getting a lesson from Miranda."Oh, found out a little more about the Hunter group. Louie, one of their quiet bookworms, is probably a selkie, and James seems to have his pelt. I had a nice little chat with him in the showers, and Masami seems to have taken a liking to him. Says that he reminds her of home, and she's taking him to the Dance."As for Zack, the leader of the Hunters agreed to take him to his martial arts studio to teach him meditation in order to keep his emotions in check."Isabella seems to be in over her head, probably regretting making that pact with the Corruptor. Once we put down the threats in the area, I don't think she'll need so much power to keep herself safe."So, what about you?"

>>27288992Oh hell, has Jill gone and gotten herself captured by someone? It was bad enough when this happened to Avril. On the other hand, anyone stupid enough to kidnap a telekinetic is going to have a nasty shock. All we need to do is bring a packet of pencils with us.

>>27289843Well, what time zone are you in? MH keeps a reasonably good schedule, but they're running on British time, so if you're on the East Coast you need to watch out for it in the early afternoon, around 3pm or so. If you're on the West Coast and you have to work 9-5, yeah, you're probably fucked, it'll run about 12 noon to 6pm.